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I Call Upon Thee: A Novella
Maggie Olsen had a pretty ordinary childhood-swimming and sleepovers, movie nights and dad jokes. But then there were the other things...the darker things...the shadow that followed her home from the cemetery and settled into the corners of her home, refusing to let her grow up in peace. Now, after three years of being away from the place she's convinced she inadvertently haunted, and after yet another family tragedy strikes, Maggie is forced to return to the sweltering heat of a Savannah summer to come to terms with her past. All along, she's been telling herself it was just in your head, and she'd nearly convinced herself that she'd imagined it all. But the moment Maggie steps into the foyer of her family home, she knows. The darkness is still there. And it's been waiting for Maggie's return...
Audio CD
First published August 7, 2017
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About the author
Ania Ahlborn
19 books7,342 followersBorn in Ciechanow Poland, Ania has always been drawn to the darker, mysterious, and sometimes morbid sides of life. Her earliest childhood memory is of crawling through a hole in the chain link fence that separated her family home from the large wooded cemetery next door. She’d spend hours among the headstones, breaking up bouquets of silk flowers so that everyone had their equal share.
Author of nine novels, Ania's books have been lauded by the likes of Publisher's Weekly, The New York Daily News, and The New York Times. Some titles have been optioned for film.
Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ania currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina.
For more from Ania, visit her site, or connect via social media on Facebook and Twitter.
Web: http://www.aniaahlborn.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aniaahlborn
Twitter: @aniaahlborn
Author of nine novels, Ania's books have been lauded by the likes of Publisher's Weekly, The New York Daily News, and The New York Times. Some titles have been optioned for film.
Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ania currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina.
For more from Ania, visit her site, or connect via social media on Facebook and Twitter.
Web: http://www.aniaahlborn.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aniaahlborn
Twitter: @aniaahlborn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews
March 30, 2019
It starts with scratching sounds, then the tapping begins. The odor of an extinguished candle follows the waft of char that hangs in the air. The darkness lies in wait, cunning, swirling, and grinning. Small wonder that Maggie wanted to get away from the old home place and stay gone. But now, circumstances dictate that she return.
As kids, we all loved board games. From the sappy Candyland to the brainier options of Scrabble and Risk, we spent endless hours playing.
YES
And then there was the Ouija board which opened up the possibility of contacting the dead. Still and yet, it's nothing more than cardboard and plastic, right?
NO
Leave the Ouija board alone.
GOODBYE
As kids, we all loved board games. From the sappy Candyland to the brainier options of Scrabble and Risk, we spent endless hours playing.
YES
And then there was the Ouija board which opened up the possibility of contacting the dead. Still and yet, it's nothing more than cardboard and plastic, right?
NO
Leave the Ouija board alone.
GOODBYE
October 9, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I have commented numerous times over the years that I have a hard time with the “horror” classification because I don’t find many things horrifying. Books seem to fall into other genres for me - thrillers or mysteries or, in the case of a previous Ania Ahlborn I read, super-barf-baggy-cannibalistic-hillbilly (that should totally be a bookshelf at Barnes & Noble because I have read a bunch of those stories). Even the Master of Horror himself, Uncle Stevie, has only terrified me a handful of times. When I started I Call Upon Thee I feared it would be the same as a story of a creepy old doll left in a cemetery was introduced fairly quickly leaving me looking a little something like . . . .
#lame.
But then our leading lady Maggie told the story of her twelfth birthday and how she went to the Toys R Us to find something special that would show she was not a baby anymore and decided on . . . .
Making me immediately like . . . .
Seriously. What a pansy! Nothing even happened and I had to put the dang thing down. Boy did I talk a big game of “ooooh it’s gonna be stormy tonight and Imma read the shit out of the scurrrrrry book” only to want to hide under the blankets like a big fat chicken instead. Once I picked it back up what did I find????
“You shouldn’t play in there. Bad things are inside.”
^^^^Yep, that’s me.
I have no idea if anyone else will react the way I did. I will say if you’re a woman (and quite possibly a man) of a certain age and read about the soundtrack in the background during the first Ouija session which included a song by a band called Echo and the Bunnymen, but which was currently offering up a selection featuring a haunting children’s choir “harmonizing something that sounded like the commandments” there’s a good chance you’re gonna be all . . . .
And automatically want to give it all of the stars. Seriously . . . .
Hell, this story might have sucked. It was kind of a hodge-podge of themes with creepy dolls and creepy kids and creepy board games and creepy deaths in the family and creepy creepy creepy. I’m pretty sure I blacked out and spent a couple of hundred pages fantasizing about Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patrick and Jamie Gertz after that Cry Little Sister reference and that right there is good enough to dole out a 4. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have something important to take care of. Like immediately digging out my copy of . . . . .
I have commented numerous times over the years that I have a hard time with the “horror” classification because I don’t find many things horrifying. Books seem to fall into other genres for me - thrillers or mysteries or, in the case of a previous Ania Ahlborn I read, super-barf-baggy-cannibalistic-hillbilly (that should totally be a bookshelf at Barnes & Noble because I have read a bunch of those stories). Even the Master of Horror himself, Uncle Stevie, has only terrified me a handful of times. When I started I Call Upon Thee I feared it would be the same as a story of a creepy old doll left in a cemetery was introduced fairly quickly leaving me looking a little something like . . . .
#lame.
But then our leading lady Maggie told the story of her twelfth birthday and how she went to the Toys R Us to find something special that would show she was not a baby anymore and decided on . . . .
Making me immediately like . . . .
Seriously. What a pansy! Nothing even happened and I had to put the dang thing down. Boy did I talk a big game of “ooooh it’s gonna be stormy tonight and Imma read the shit out of the scurrrrrry book” only to want to hide under the blankets like a big fat chicken instead. Once I picked it back up what did I find????
“You shouldn’t play in there. Bad things are inside.”
^^^^Yep, that’s me.
I have no idea if anyone else will react the way I did. I will say if you’re a woman (and quite possibly a man) of a certain age and read about the soundtrack in the background during the first Ouija session which included a song by a band called Echo and the Bunnymen, but which was currently offering up a selection featuring a haunting children’s choir “harmonizing something that sounded like the commandments” there’s a good chance you’re gonna be all . . . .
And automatically want to give it all of the stars. Seriously . . . .
Hell, this story might have sucked. It was kind of a hodge-podge of themes with creepy dolls and creepy kids and creepy board games and creepy deaths in the family and creepy creepy creepy. I’m pretty sure I blacked out and spent a couple of hundred pages fantasizing about Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patrick and Jamie Gertz after that Cry Little Sister reference and that right there is good enough to dole out a 4. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have something important to take care of. Like immediately digging out my copy of . . . . .
March 6, 2019
True Horror!
Let's begin with the Author's Notes....but first, how do you feel about Ouija boards? About calling upon the dead? I had one and remember being glad when it was gone too.
"I CALL UPON THEE is a work of fiction, but it's the closest thing I'll get to an autobiography of how my "strangeness" came to be. The board was real. The cemetery, real. The night I watched The Exorcist, real as well. And the part where twelve year old Maggie suddenly realizes she's in way over her head? Yeah, that too. Of course, there's embellishment and exaggeration, but it's cobbled together from true events, odd memories, and the occasional nightmare. And that, my friends, is why I'll never contact the dead again." by Ania Ahlborn.
Ok horror fans, interested? Then read on.....
"It's lonely as hell being dead."
What happened in the house....in Maggie's room eventually caused her to move to North Carolina (from Georgia) and when we first meet her, a hurricane is ripping away outside as her timid boyfriend freaks. But Maggie isn't afraid. A bad storm is nothing compared to what she left behind....and must return to for another funeral.
I CALL UPON THEE is one creeper of a story, but what creeped me out the most was the PLEDGE, the short story within this story....the story Maggie was told in Friendship Park cemetery when she was twelve....when she lived in the house that was visited.
Well done horror....with darkness, evil....and the creepiest of creepfests right up to the last sentence!
July 13, 2019
4.0 Stars
I loved this creepy little horror story. Drawing on childhood innocence, the intimate narrative was incredibly compelling. The horror was ambiguous, which will appeal to readers who prefer realistic story-lines.
I listened to this on audio, which was a wonderfully unsettling experience. This is currently my recommendation where to start with Ania Ahlborn's work!
I loved this creepy little horror story. Drawing on childhood innocence, the intimate narrative was incredibly compelling. The horror was ambiguous, which will appeal to readers who prefer realistic story-lines.
I listened to this on audio, which was a wonderfully unsettling experience. This is currently my recommendation where to start with Ania Ahlborn's work!
January 5, 2022
Spooks and Shadows!
A backstory:
Maggie Olsen's world is turned upside down when she gets an urgent message from her sister, Arlene that she needs to come home as tragedy has struck the family and there has been a terrible accident. When Maggie finds out that her sister Brynn has passed away she is devastated so she hurries home for the funeral leaving her boyfriend behind in the middle of a hurricane, but storm or not she needs to get home to be with her family.
Once Maggie steps foot in the old homestead where her sister Arlene now lives things become almost surreal as Maggie remembers things that happened to her there along with Brynn and something that they did long ago when they were young which involves a cemetery, an old doll and a oujia board.
The more that Maggie is in the house the more she "thinks" she sees shadows and she has a feeling that something is watching her. Though Arlene doesn't believe in such things and thinks that Maggie is having mental issues because she is distraught over Brynn passing away. But what Arlene doesn't know is that Maggie has come home and the shadow that lurks in the house is ready to play!
Thoughts:
The story itself was creepy and chilling as the author weaved an atmosphere of spooky dread around the character Maggie. I thought the story was too "wordy" with lots of "play by play" detail of every little thing that happened to Maggie. Also there are time jumps which I am not fond of as the author goes back and forth between the past and the present to tell the story of what happened to Maggie and Brynn when they were young with the cemetery, the doll and the ouija board, then it jumps forward to the present to what happened to Brynn and what Maggie has to deal with in the house with Arlene. Giving this book four Spooky Shadow stars!
A backstory:
Maggie Olsen's world is turned upside down when she gets an urgent message from her sister, Arlene that she needs to come home as tragedy has struck the family and there has been a terrible accident. When Maggie finds out that her sister Brynn has passed away she is devastated so she hurries home for the funeral leaving her boyfriend behind in the middle of a hurricane, but storm or not she needs to get home to be with her family.
Once Maggie steps foot in the old homestead where her sister Arlene now lives things become almost surreal as Maggie remembers things that happened to her there along with Brynn and something that they did long ago when they were young which involves a cemetery, an old doll and a oujia board.
The more that Maggie is in the house the more she "thinks" she sees shadows and she has a feeling that something is watching her. Though Arlene doesn't believe in such things and thinks that Maggie is having mental issues because she is distraught over Brynn passing away. But what Arlene doesn't know is that Maggie has come home and the shadow that lurks in the house is ready to play!
Thoughts:
The story itself was creepy and chilling as the author weaved an atmosphere of spooky dread around the character Maggie. I thought the story was too "wordy" with lots of "play by play" detail of every little thing that happened to Maggie. Also there are time jumps which I am not fond of as the author goes back and forth between the past and the present to tell the story of what happened to Maggie and Brynn when they were young with the cemetery, the doll and the ouija board, then it jumps forward to the present to what happened to Brynn and what Maggie has to deal with in the house with Arlene. Giving this book four Spooky Shadow stars!
April 23, 2025
Ania Ahlborn's I Call Upon Thee weaves the story of a small town southern girl leaving her unremarkable cold childhood colonial and growing up years only to then come back in the wake of a family tragedy to unwanted nostalgia, supernatural events and paranormal activity best left forgotten and uninteresting plot backdrops.
The tale leaves something to be desired in the internalization and visualization of the characters perhaps due to the literary feel of her descriptive atmosphere which was super detailed, immersive and filled with creepy dread, [quite unlike her other book that I read, Brother (that one kills! literally...)]. I honestly could not get emotionally tied to any of them with the exception of the horny, clingy and nerdy bf that sprinkles some much needed comic relief (in that one or two scenes at least) into an otherwise blasé prose.
The perspective switches between Maggie, our protagonist's childhood with her two sisters growing up in Savannah, inadvertently calling upon something evil and the current timeline making the plot fairly quick when the real horror starts. It's pretty slow burn too for the first third or so of the book, but it's thankfully quite short although it felt like I read a thousand pages.
Sooo..., all in all, a mediocre outing from an author that I loved the first book I read from her but nevertheless, there might be something worth a read for southern gothic thriller/horror enthusiasts. Still, I don't think I can recommend this one.
The tale leaves something to be desired in the internalization and visualization of the characters perhaps due to the literary feel of her descriptive atmosphere which was super detailed, immersive and filled with creepy dread, [quite unlike her other book that I read, Brother (that one kills! literally...)]. I honestly could not get emotionally tied to any of them with the exception of the horny, clingy and nerdy bf that sprinkles some much needed comic relief (in that one or two scenes at least) into an otherwise blasé prose.
The perspective switches between Maggie, our protagonist's childhood with her two sisters growing up in Savannah, inadvertently calling upon something evil and the current timeline making the plot fairly quick when the real horror starts. It's pretty slow burn too for the first third or so of the book, but it's thankfully quite short although it felt like I read a thousand pages.
Sooo..., all in all, a mediocre outing from an author that I loved the first book I read from her but nevertheless, there might be something worth a read for southern gothic thriller/horror enthusiasts. Still, I don't think I can recommend this one.
April 8, 2025
3.5 rounded up for the ending, which I was worried was going to be kinda lame for a minute there.
This was a pretty standard possession/evil kid book, but I don't mind a trope when it's entertaining. Ahlborn keeps the writing fluid, and the story elements tight enough to make it an enjoyable reading experience.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend the audiobook, although the story is straightforward enough to work well for the format (for someone like me, who's always operating with a divided attention when listening). While the narrator did a good job with most of the characters' voices, including little kids, her voice for the Olsen patriarch was silly, and the narrative sections were delivered in a rather robotic monotone.
This was a pretty standard possession/evil kid book, but I don't mind a trope when it's entertaining. Ahlborn keeps the writing fluid, and the story elements tight enough to make it an enjoyable reading experience.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend the audiobook, although the story is straightforward enough to work well for the format (for someone like me, who's always operating with a divided attention when listening). While the narrator did a good job with most of the characters' voices, including little kids, her voice for the Olsen patriarch was silly, and the narrative sections were delivered in a rather robotic monotone.
October 10, 2019
4.5
i loved this book! I could relate so much to Brynn, well during my teenage years at least. i guess i should apologize to my little sister for always trying to scare her and making her watch scary movies (she doesn't like them now). All the characters were great in their own way. The story was great and i really loved the ending. if your looking for something scary to read for Halloween, this is IT!
the only reason i didn't give this a 5 star rating is that i felt near the end, things got a little messy. maybe i zoned out for a minute or something, i don't know.
i loved this book! I could relate so much to Brynn, well during my teenage years at least. i guess i should apologize to my little sister for always trying to scare her and making her watch scary movies (she doesn't like them now). All the characters were great in their own way. The story was great and i really loved the ending. if your looking for something scary to read for Halloween, this is IT!
the only reason i didn't give this a 5 star rating is that i felt near the end, things got a little messy. maybe i zoned out for a minute or something, i don't know.
July 14, 2021
Maggie Olsen's life is one marred by tragedy. She left the remainder of her family far behind, as she continued with her studies far from home and plotted a bright future for herself that did not involve them. However, she is awoken one stormy night first by the remembrance of another and then by a phone-call heralding a new disaster. She must return home, no matter how reluctant she is to reconcile herself with the ghosts from her past, both metaphoric and literal.
Few events in this novel were ones I had not read of before. And that is entirely what I so loved about it. Seances and shifting shadows, sorrow and sinister sightings are all the aspects I most love reading about, and I thought the author did a great job of delivering the expected in a twisty and thrilling storyline.
The hints of paranormal were slowly drip-fed to the reader, leading the horror to heighten at the most suspenseful pace imaginable. Choosing to read this book late at night, with a storm raging outside, was a decision I fully regret, as my need for a resolution to the horrors that haunted the story was so keen that I managed no sleep until it was completed.
Few events in this novel were ones I had not read of before. And that is entirely what I so loved about it. Seances and shifting shadows, sorrow and sinister sightings are all the aspects I most love reading about, and I thought the author did a great job of delivering the expected in a twisty and thrilling storyline.
The hints of paranormal were slowly drip-fed to the reader, leading the horror to heighten at the most suspenseful pace imaginable. Choosing to read this book late at night, with a storm raging outside, was a decision I fully regret, as my need for a resolution to the horrors that haunted the story was so keen that I managed no sleep until it was completed.
April 9, 2022
This was the CREEPIEST Ahlborn I’ve ever read!!! Ohmygod. Chills on chills. Required reading if you like a good, scary haunting story!
September 8, 2017
Maggie is going back home.
She should have never left.
She should have never gone back.
A cemetery doll, a Ouija board, old friends, creeping shadows and burning guilt.
I am a big fan of Ania's work. She can definitely write a creepy tale. This one started out a bit all over the place, but it came together eventually and even had a trademark Ahlborn ending. (sort of)
I really wanted to like this more than my 3+ Star rating, but it felt rushed in places and meandered in others. Still an enjoyable read.
She should have never left.
She should have never gone back.
A cemetery doll, a Ouija board, old friends, creeping shadows and burning guilt.
I am a big fan of Ania's work. She can definitely write a creepy tale. This one started out a bit all over the place, but it came together eventually and even had a trademark Ahlborn ending. (sort of)
I really wanted to like this more than my 3+ Star rating, but it felt rushed in places and meandered in others. Still an enjoyable read.
July 28, 2019
Student Maggie returns to her childhood home and is forced to confront a secret she has been trying to run away from. A secret that involves a ouija board and some deaths in the family.
This story started off quite strong and I was certainly intrigued as information about Maggie and her family and her past slowly unfolded. However, the slow release of information at times made me think I had missed something important only to find it revealed later on. This style of storytelling can work really well but in this case it felt confusing. As the story went on I lost interest in Maggie and the other characters. I didn't find the story to be creepy (which has no bearing on my rating but this one sounded creepy so I was disappointed that it didn't deliver). Unfortunately this story fell flat for me and was underwhelming by the end.
This story started off quite strong and I was certainly intrigued as information about Maggie and her family and her past slowly unfolded. However, the slow release of information at times made me think I had missed something important only to find it revealed later on. This style of storytelling can work really well but in this case it felt confusing. As the story went on I lost interest in Maggie and the other characters. I didn't find the story to be creepy (which has no bearing on my rating but this one sounded creepy so I was disappointed that it didn't deliver). Unfortunately this story fell flat for me and was underwhelming by the end.
March 19, 2023
An entertaining and fairly creepy novella from Ania Ahlborn.
The story starts off at a lazy pace and meanders for some time, explaining family relationships, characters' personalities and backgrounds but slowly the supernatural happenings start to creep in as the book continues onward.
A quality spooky read with the only drawbacks being that slow start and a slight annoyance with the interaction of the characters with each other, I mean do people not just communicate?
The story starts off at a lazy pace and meanders for some time, explaining family relationships, characters' personalities and backgrounds but slowly the supernatural happenings start to creep in as the book continues onward.
A quality spooky read with the only drawbacks being that slow start and a slight annoyance with the interaction of the characters with each other, I mean do people not just communicate?
October 7, 2017
Creeeeeeeeeeeepy! I think this might be one of my favorite novellas to date. I feel like we have all at one point or another in our childhood have played with dolls and Ouija boards. I think the difference is whether this experience propelled us into the dark and macabre love that I have, or chased us in the opposite direction, arms flailing and constantly being all bright and glittery and happy... or whatever it is that's the opposite of me.
Ania does it again. Pulls you right in and doesn't let you go. It's like each word comes off the page and sinks it's teeth right into you until you absorb each chapter. I promised myself I'd finish this novella last night so I could have some kind of closure and then I remember that I've read all her books before and well, that's not likely to happen regardless. So I finished this morning, in the day light, where it's safe.. until I walked by the bathroom mirror and jumped at my own reflection. Damn you, Ania!! **shakes fist**
I think this one really got to me because of my own experiences I had as a kid when I was obsessed with Ouija boards, found my hatred for dolls of all kinds and had some super creepy moments of my own that I'm still going to say was nightmares or my imagination. To read Ania's Author Note at the end about her own experiences and how this novella came about just gave my goose bumps their own goose bumps.
Basically it's this, readers... if you love Ania already, you won't be disappointed with this novella. If you haven't read her yet - well, what are you waiting for? Need a suggestion on where to start? Come talk to me! It's October and the season of horror so this is the perfect time to get started.
Ania does it again. Pulls you right in and doesn't let you go. It's like each word comes off the page and sinks it's teeth right into you until you absorb each chapter. I promised myself I'd finish this novella last night so I could have some kind of closure and then I remember that I've read all her books before and well, that's not likely to happen regardless. So I finished this morning, in the day light, where it's safe.. until I walked by the bathroom mirror and jumped at my own reflection. Damn you, Ania!! **shakes fist**
I think this one really got to me because of my own experiences I had as a kid when I was obsessed with Ouija boards, found my hatred for dolls of all kinds and had some super creepy moments of my own that I'm still going to say was nightmares or my imagination. To read Ania's Author Note at the end about her own experiences and how this novella came about just gave my goose bumps their own goose bumps.
Basically it's this, readers... if you love Ania already, you won't be disappointed with this novella. If you haven't read her yet - well, what are you waiting for? Need a suggestion on where to start? Come talk to me! It's October and the season of horror so this is the perfect time to get started.
September 27, 2021
This one is tough to rate I enjoyed the overall story but it felt rushed like really thats it? I wanted more the family Maggie thats all we get? Plus it was sad too it just left me going hmmm.
September 11, 2023
I really enjoyed this story as well as the individuality if the characters but unfortunately it didn't scare me at all. Pretty common plot for horror and while it was told well, there were no new elements that gave me a fright.
My 1st Ania Ahlborn read though and I will definitely be checking out more of her work!
My 1st Ania Ahlborn read though and I will definitely be checking out more of her work!
July 4, 2022
2,7 *
I really like Ania Ahlborns writing and here story telling but this one was a miss for me. I did not find it terrifying, It might say more about me then the book 😅🙃
I really like Ania Ahlborns writing and here story telling but this one was a miss for me. I did not find it terrifying, It might say more about me then the book 😅🙃
March 13, 2021
This gave me the chills in such a delightful way.
While technically a novella, I Call Upon Thee is on the longer side at 256 pages, which is very welcome in a book I enjoyed so much! With a nice balance of character moments and scares, it's an efficiently spooky and easy read.
Three deaths in less than a decade, all under the same roof. It was unheard of, like one of Brynn’s weird stories brought to life. Had what Maggie done been so bad? Had she incited something unthinkable?
Maggie Olsen comes from a family fractured by tragedy and pain. When yet another death forces her to return home to a house shrouded in heartache, it's not long before the horrors of Maggie's childhood resurface. Inexplicable pains, the smell of smoke* and glimpses of shadow, the sensation of being watched; it looks like whatever haunted her formative years is ready to welcome her home.
*side note - I also smell smoke when it's not there and even though my logic brain knows it's part of a migraine aura and not a demon / haunted doll / ghost of Kurt Cobain conjured from an Ouija board, part of me was still spooked by this detail.
Maggie didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for that all-too-familiar sense of not being alone to pass, as it always had; to pass, but to never quite leave her, because it was always there. Always radiating from shadowed corners. Stopping her in her tracks as she walked through the house, warm one second, cold the next.
One great thing this book did was reignite some of my childhood fears. Not as in 'what I'm scared of then now scares me currently.' But it made me remember the specific and inexplicable things that frightened me, like how something as innocuous as a slightly open closet door could send chills down my spine. I used to use the belt of my housecoat to tie my closet doors shut every night, and place a beanbag in front of it. I was convinced that the ghost of Abraham Lincoln lived in my closet.
I was a strange child.
She couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there. A shadow in the darkness, darker than the night that surrounded it. Watching her. Waiting. An ever-present nightmare. Her inescapable, preordained, self-prophesized truth.
Filled with effective, though often familiar, scares, I Call Upon Thee is a well paced story that balances traumatized characters and horrific ripple effects in an atmospheric tale. The narrative may stop when you close the book, but by then the horror has its claws in you - it may not be so easy to let go.
While technically a novella, I Call Upon Thee is on the longer side at 256 pages, which is very welcome in a book I enjoyed so much! With a nice balance of character moments and scares, it's an efficiently spooky and easy read.
Three deaths in less than a decade, all under the same roof. It was unheard of, like one of Brynn’s weird stories brought to life. Had what Maggie done been so bad? Had she incited something unthinkable?
Maggie Olsen comes from a family fractured by tragedy and pain. When yet another death forces her to return home to a house shrouded in heartache, it's not long before the horrors of Maggie's childhood resurface. Inexplicable pains, the smell of smoke* and glimpses of shadow, the sensation of being watched; it looks like whatever haunted her formative years is ready to welcome her home.
*side note - I also smell smoke when it's not there and even though my logic brain knows it's part of a migraine aura and not a demon / haunted doll / ghost of Kurt Cobain conjured from an Ouija board, part of me was still spooked by this detail.
Maggie didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for that all-too-familiar sense of not being alone to pass, as it always had; to pass, but to never quite leave her, because it was always there. Always radiating from shadowed corners. Stopping her in her tracks as she walked through the house, warm one second, cold the next.
One great thing this book did was reignite some of my childhood fears. Not as in 'what I'm scared of then now scares me currently.' But it made me remember the specific and inexplicable things that frightened me, like how something as innocuous as a slightly open closet door could send chills down my spine. I used to use the belt of my housecoat to tie my closet doors shut every night, and place a beanbag in front of it. I was convinced that the ghost of Abraham Lincoln lived in my closet.
I was a strange child.
She couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there. A shadow in the darkness, darker than the night that surrounded it. Watching her. Waiting. An ever-present nightmare. Her inescapable, preordained, self-prophesized truth.
Filled with effective, though often familiar, scares, I Call Upon Thee is a well paced story that balances traumatized characters and horrific ripple effects in an atmospheric tale. The narrative may stop when you close the book, but by then the horror has its claws in you - it may not be so easy to let go.
January 5, 2018
Most people thought that Maggie Olsen had a normal childhood. What they did know is, one day some thing evil followed her home from the cemetery. Maggie had been away from home for three years. She had wanted to get out of her house, as quick as she could. Maggie had been at school, when she received a phone call from her sister Arlene. Maggie sister told her, that she must come home right away. Another tragedy has struck the Olsen family. Maggie sister Brynn, had committed suicide, by jumping from her bedroom window. Maggie blames herself, for her sister's death. If only Maggie had come home, when Brynn ask her, things might have been different. Maggie knows, that the darkness that followed her home when she was twelve years old, has been waiting for her return. The book bounces between Maggie's childhood and the present. This was an enjoyable read, with a scary creepy ending. The author, did a great job of developing the characters and making them believable. I recommend this book.
September 12, 2021
Another first with this author and once again delighted. I shall be reading more. This is a perfect example of character-driven stories; 2 sisters reunited after a family tragedy that also brings sinister childhood memories for the main protagonist, Maggie. Memories of messing around with a ouija board that refuses to die or go away.
It starts with incidents and flashbacks that one wonders their importance but everything comes together perfectly for a scary and creepy finale. The detail in each character's development are what make it so clever and well-written and makes us care for their well-being. For demonic possession fans, highly recommended. Subtle yet very effective.
It starts with incidents and flashbacks that one wonders their importance but everything comes together perfectly for a scary and creepy finale. The detail in each character's development are what make it so clever and well-written and makes us care for their well-being. For demonic possession fans, highly recommended. Subtle yet very effective.
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October 11, 2017I was looking for something quick and scary to kick off October reading. I didn't get anything close to scary, or even well-conceived and well-written, for that matter. I do not recommend.
August 15, 2017
This was a gripping, spooky read that I could not put down. Ouija boards always freak me out, and this serves as an excellent cautionary tale. I really enjoyed how this was tied into the entire family and a specific location. The local cemetery scenes are all top notch. The parts written about Maggie as a child resonated with me because the character motivation is pitch-perfect. I do wish that at some point Maggie had sat down and made an itemized list of events that have occurred, created a time-line, and proceeded forth with a plan of action based on that data. Of course, that's just my OCD shining through, lol. The pending hurricane also heightened tension, and led me to read this in record time. If this is a novella, then it's borderline to the extreme as it's around 250 pages. Quite a steal at 1.99 for this ebook. Definitely recommended.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that Ania's book "soundtracks" are always filled with delicious bits that warrant playlist creation. Especially if you're feeling the '80's. Good stuff.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that Ania's book "soundtracks" are always filled with delicious bits that warrant playlist creation. Especially if you're feeling the '80's. Good stuff.
December 22, 2020
This is my 5th Ahlborn book. And I officially think she can do no wrong. Creepy, fast paced with paranormal elements. Prepare for your fear of Ouija board to increase. I love the use of past and present chapters as well as how she writes young characters. Man, she really knows how to write that scare factor.
October 16, 2025
Spooky, creepy en fast paced. Leuk boek voor in de halloween-maand!
June 19, 2020
This horror novella was unputdownable. Moving back and forth between her 22ish year old self and her 12 year old self, the reader gradually uncovers what happened to make Maggie never want to return to her family home to Georgia again.
The good and bad thing about the horror in this book was that it was ambiguous, something that could be good or bad, depending on your reading preferences. This book definitely had the creeping sense of unease I look for in horror books. There were some unanswered questions for me, though, particularly around Maggie's niece, her relationship to the creepy doll, and to the nameless shadow that lived with Maggie's family home. And I was disappointed by the ending, which some horror fans might like but not me.
One of the exciting bonuses of I Call Upon Thee is that while the book is a work of fiction, Ahlborn noted that it's the closest thing I'll get to an autobiography of how my "strangeness" came to be. The board was real. The cemetery, real. The night I watched The Exorcist, real as well. And the part where twelve year old Maggie suddenly realizes she's in way over her head? Yeah, that too. Of course, there's embellishment and exaggeration, but it's cobbled together from true events, odd memories, and the occasional nightmare. And that, my friends, is why I'll never contact the dead again.
The good and bad thing about the horror in this book was that it was ambiguous, something that could be good or bad, depending on your reading preferences. This book definitely had the creeping sense of unease I look for in horror books. There were some unanswered questions for me, though, particularly around Maggie's niece, her relationship to the creepy doll, and to the nameless shadow that lived with Maggie's family home. And I was disappointed by the ending, which some horror fans might like but not me.
One of the exciting bonuses of I Call Upon Thee is that while the book is a work of fiction, Ahlborn noted that it's the closest thing I'll get to an autobiography of how my "strangeness" came to be. The board was real. The cemetery, real. The night I watched The Exorcist, real as well. And the part where twelve year old Maggie suddenly realizes she's in way over her head? Yeah, that too. Of course, there's embellishment and exaggeration, but it's cobbled together from true events, odd memories, and the occasional nightmare. And that, my friends, is why I'll never contact the dead again.
September 26, 2024
2.5* spoiler free review:
This book suffers from a ton of telling rather than showing, characters that feel one-dimensional and stereotyped, an uninspired trope as its foundation, and the worst part of it is that it’s dreadfully over written with maybe 5 words being useful out of every 50 you have to read. I also personally read a fair amount of horror, and for me this didn’t even feel ooky, let alone spooky (though that’s obviously subjective and based on personal tolerance).
This is the first book I’ve read by Ania Ahlborn, and I expected so much more from it having heard such good things about her as an author. Having read this though, I question whether I’ll read anything else by her, because honestly these things don’t seem like things a better writer would do in any book.
This book suffers from a ton of telling rather than showing, characters that feel one-dimensional and stereotyped, an uninspired trope as its foundation, and the worst part of it is that it’s dreadfully over written with maybe 5 words being useful out of every 50 you have to read. I also personally read a fair amount of horror, and for me this didn’t even feel ooky, let alone spooky (though that’s obviously subjective and based on personal tolerance).
This is the first book I’ve read by Ania Ahlborn, and I expected so much more from it having heard such good things about her as an author. Having read this though, I question whether I’ll read anything else by her, because honestly these things don’t seem like things a better writer would do in any book.
March 15, 2022
This was so wonderfully spooky! A creepy doll, a ouija board, and a young girl who should've known better than to mess with the spirits. This was definitely my kind of novella! I wish a physical copy existed because, alas, I can't triumphantly keep an eBook on my shelves and add it to my steadily growing Ania Ahlborn collection!
August 21, 2024
This started off well but then fell flat. Story felt a bit disjointed and long long paragraphs of thoughts and feelings so felt repeated. Don't feel like there was enough build up of the whole demon/child/friend and MC bond. Some chapters felt like it was just telling you the back story to get through it. Need more creepy spooky vibes than loads of family drama! Overall nothing actually happens.
July 29, 2025
I really liked “Brother,” so I was excited for this, but I didn’t love it. It felt like a really cliche Ouija board story, with not a lot to keep it interesting—I found it pretty boring. The dialogue too felt really silly a lot of the time. I listened to the audiobook and really didn’t like the voice of the reader, so maybe that’s a reason it was hard for me to enjoy the story.
October 30, 2021
This novella can be summed up in one word: Creepy!
Ania Ahlbiorn knows how to write a story that gets under your skin and lives there. This is a quick read that packs a terrifying punch and well worth your time if you're a horror fan.
Ania Ahlbiorn knows how to write a story that gets under your skin and lives there. This is a quick read that packs a terrifying punch and well worth your time if you're a horror fan.
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